The invention relates to a clamp for attaching a pipe and the like of an air conditioner in an automobile to an object to be attached such as a body panel.
Conventionally, a pipe of an air conditioner and the like is attached to a predetermined position of a body panel in an automobile through a clamp. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, Japanese Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 2000-205211 has disclosed a clamp that includes a fitting portion 100 to be fitted to a stud bolt projecting from a body panel of an automobile and a clamp portion 106 for holding pipes 102, 104.
Circular arc shape holders 108, 110 corresponding to outer diameters of the pipes 102, 104 are formed on the clamp portion 106. Supporting walls 112, 114 are provided to the respective holders 108, 110. Elastically deformable guiding pieces 116, 118, which bend toward central portions of the respective holders 108, 110, extend from forward end surfaces of the respective supporting walls 112, 114.
Guiding walls 120, 122 are formed to face the supporting walls 112, 114. A space between the guiding wall 120 and the guiding piece 116, or a space between the guiding wall 122 and the guiding piece 118, has a diameter smaller than that of the pipe 102, or 104. Therefore, when the pipes 102, 104 are inserted in the space between the guiding piece 116 and the guiding wall 120 and the space between the guiding piece 118 and the guiding wall 122, the guiding pieces 116, 118 are elastically deformed to thereby allow the pipes 102, 104 to pass therethrough.
The maximum space between the guiding piece 116 and the holder 108 and the maximum space between the guiding piece 118 and the holder 110 are substantially the same as the diameters of the pipe 102, 104, respectively. The guiding pieces 116, 118 restore when the pipes 102, 104 contact the holders 108, 110, so that the end portions of the guiding pieces 116, 118 press the pipes 102, 104.
In other words, in the conventional clamp, the pipe 102 is held in the holder 108, and the pipe 104 is held in the holder 110, i.e. two pipes 102, 104 are situated in parallel.
When four pipes are mounted to the clamp portion, in order to reduce an area for mounting the clamp portion as little as possible, it is better that two pipes are mounted on each holder. However, when the guiding wall and the guiding piece hold two pipes, a pipe at an inner side of the clamp portion is held with a folding force different from that of the pipe at an entrance side.
When two pipes have slightly different diameters, a pipe with a smaller outer diameter is held with a force smaller than that of a pipe with a larger diameter. Therefore, there is a risk that the pipe is not sufficiently supported in a state that the clamp is fixed to a body panel.
To solve this problem, as shown in FIG. 7, a modified clamp has two clamp portions 124 affixed back to back. Holders 108, 110, guiding walls 120, 122 and guiding pieces 116, 118 are provided in two rows in a vertical direction. Pipes 102 and 104 are inserted from above and below so that each of the holders 108, 110 holds each of the pipes 102, 104. Accordingly, four pipes 102, 104 are held in two rows, i.e. in the vertical and horizontal directions. As a result, the upper and lower holders 108, 110 hold the pipes 102, 104 with the same force, thereby securely holding the pipes 102, 104.
The upper and lower clamp portions 124 hold the pipes 102, 104 in a state that a fitting portion 100 is fitted into the stud bolt projecting from the body panel. Therefore, it is necessary to insert the pipes 102, 104 from the upper and lower directions, resulting in poor workability.
In view of the above defects, the present invention has been made, and an object of the invention is to provide a clamp for securely holding a plurality of pipes with improved workability.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.